


The council's decision

by mfingenius



Series: Courting Traditions [5]
Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Auguste (Captive Prince) Lives, Courtship, Don't copy to another site, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 09:47:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23969350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mfingenius/pseuds/mfingenius
Summary: “No.”“No?” Laurent asks, disbelievingly.Damen’s stomach sinks.“No.” Juerre repeats.Laurent looks at Auguste disbelievingly; he looks sullen, regretful, and overall in a terrible mood, sitting on his throne.“Excuse me, I must’ve heard wrong,” Laurent says, laughing shortly. “No?”“Yes, Prince Laurent, the answer is no,” Chelaut says. “The council has made a decision, and it is no.”
Relationships: Damen/Laurent (Captive Prince)
Series: Courting Traditions [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1397506
Comments: 37
Kudos: 382





	The council's decision

“This is ridiculous, you know?” Laurent sounds amused; he is lying beside Damen, only in his undershirt in the silk sheets, and Damen is pointedly  _ not _ looking at him. “I’m nineteen now.”

“And the deal was we’d wait until you were twenty,” Damen stares up at the ceiling resolutely. They’re in the palace, in Arles; the last step of their courtship was the approval of Auguste’s council. Laurent’s told him it’s only a formality, but Damen is still nervous that he’ll screw things up in the last second. “I’m sure this is violating the courtship agreement.”

“Probably.” Laurent hums in agreement. He sits up and throws a leg over Damen’s lap, straddling him, and Damen makes a choked noise in return. “Damen, we made the agreement when I was  _ sixteen _ . I’m grown now.”

Damen can’t help but put his hands in Laurent’s hips, rubbing over his hipbones with his thumbs.

“Our courtship is not final yet.” Damen reminds him. “If anyone finds out that we’ve laid together before it is, it’ll never be approved.”

Laurent scoffs and rolls his eyes. “I’ve already told you it’s a formality. The council has no reason to say no.”

“I still don’t want to take chances,” Damen says apologetically, pressing soothing kisses  against Laurent's lips. “We’re supposed to meet them soon. You should get dressed.”

Laurent smirks. “Oh, but you like me so much better this way.”

Damen softens. “I like you any way you’ll let me see you.”

Laurent’s cheeks turn red; even after all this time, Damen can’t quite anticipate what exactly will make Laurent flush. Often, it’s not the filthy things, but the sweet, loving ones that come straight from Damen’s heart.

“I - I'll get dressed,” Laurent mumbles, and Damen can’t quite help grinning like a fool.

He forces himself to let go off Laurent’s hips, and kisses him once more before he leaves to get dressed, leaving Damen staring after him longingly.

*

“No.”

“ _ No?”  _ Laurent asks, disbelievingly.

Damen’s stomach sinks.

“No.”  Jeurre repeats.

Laurent looks at Auguste disbelievingly; he looks sullen, regretful, and overall in a terrible mood, sitting on his throne.

“Excuse me, I must’ve heard wrong,” Laurent says, laughing shortly. “ _ No _ ?”

“Yes, Prince Laurent, the answer is  _ no, _ ” Chelaut says. “The council has made a decision, and it is  _ no _ .”

“And pray tell, why not?” he asks, crossing his arms.

“His brother,” Audin says, looking at Damen pointedly. “Has committed treason.”

“Need I remind you it was treason, also committed by my uncle and  councilor Guion?” Laurent asks. 

“We need not talk about that now,”  Jeurre says with pursed lips.

“No, I think we need talk about that now,” Auguste says. “I’ve pointed out my stance on the matter. Damen is one of the most loyal men I have met, and he has my permission to marry Laurent. The only reason you are withholding approval is because of something his brother did.”

“Something that almost led to Prince Laurent’s death,” Audin says to Auguste.

“Which Damen saved me from!”

“The answer is  _ no _ .”  Jeurre insists.

Herode is the only one from the council who’s been quiet, and Damen looks at him desperately, even though he thinks he can’t do much, even if he wanted to help.

Laurent seems thoughtful. “Auguste is King.”

“Yes?” Auguste says, not even him understanding what Laurent’s thinking.

“Because of  Veretian law, he only needs two members of the council to agree with him.” Laurent continues. “Herode, are you opposed to this union?”

“No, Prince Laurent,”  Herode says gracefully. “You have my approval.”

“Right, thank you,” Laurent says distractedly.

“You’re still missing someone’s approval,”  Jeurre says, evidently annoyed at Laurent. Damen fights back the urge to punch him. 

“I know I am, I know how to count, Councilor  Jeurre ,” Laurent says drily. “Auguste, because of Guion’s criminal activity, he is no longer part of your council, am I right?”

“No, he’s not,” Auguste confirms, amused at his brother’s antics.

“ So you need another councilman,” Laurent says, eyes glinting.

“It cannot be you!”  Jeurre immediately exclaims. “Especially if you’re only doing it to marry this  ba -”

“ _ Watch it,  _ Jeurre , he is a King,” Auguste says coldly. “You’d do well to remember that I can, at any point, replace my council.”

“This  Akielon !”  Jeurre finishes, an angry flush to his face.

“You’re right,  Jeurre , I was never thinking about me,” Laurent says, blinking innocently.

“Then who?” Auguste asks.

Laurent smiles.

*

“I came as soon as I got your messenger,”  Jokaste looks at the  Veretian palace critically. “Yes, I could get used to this.”

“I want to make good on my promise,” Laurent says, by a way of greeting. “If you are still interested in being a part of my brother’s council.”

“A  _ woman _ ?”  Jeurre exclaims.

“An  _ Akielon _ ?”  Audin asks.

“I assure you, Councilors, that Lady  Jokaste is more competent than most of you combined,” Laurent says. “And it is not your decision who goes on the council, it is Auguste’s.”

Auguste is grinning. Everyone looks at him.

“Alright,” he says easily. “Lady  Jokaste , welcome to the  Veretian council. I already think highly of you, if my brother thinks you should be on my council.”

“I could get used to  _ him _ ,” Jokaste says to Laurent under her breath.

“He’s married,” Laurent says back. 

Jokaste makes a non-comital noise. “Happily?”

“Very much so,” Auguste says, eyes twinkling, having overheard the entire conversation. “My wife is visiting her family. I’m sure you’ll get along once she’s back.”

Jokaste waves a hand. “Alright. What do I need to do first?”

“Give your approval for Damen and me to get married.” Laurent says happily.

The last three days – how long  Jokaste took to get here – had been hell; the council has been continually looking at Damen like they want to murder him, all except for Herode. The only good part is that Damen has been sleeping in Laurent’s bed, which could really fix most of anything.

“Alright,” Jokaste says. “I give it.”

“Thank you.” Laurent grins. “Councilor Herode, are you still in favor of this union?”

“Yes,”  Herode says, eyes shining.

“Good,” Laurent nods. “I believe that makes two, doesn’t it, councilor  Jeurre ?”

Jeurre is entirely red in the face. “King Auguste, with outmost respect I must let you know, I will not form part of your council if a woman can hold the same position I do.” 

Jokaste gives him a cold look, but before she can say anything, Auguste shrugs.

“Alright,” he says. “You’re free to walk out.”

Jeurre ’s face turns nearly purple, but he unstraps his councilor pin and throws it on the ground, stomping away.

“Men,”  Jokaste scoffs. “So  _ sensitive _ .”

Damen laughs and pulls Laurent closer.

**Author's Note:**

> I think this is the second to last part in this series, so we're nearly at the end!! I hope you're enjoying it, babes!


End file.
